Improvement in combined door-plates, letter-boxes, and bell-pulls



- T. THOMPSON.

Improvement in Combined Door-Plate, Letter -Box, and Bell-Pull.

Patented Oct. 22,1872.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS THOMPSON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

Specification forming part oi Letters Patent No. 132,378, dated October 21 1872.

- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS THOMPSON, of Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Door Name-Plate, Letter- Plate, and Bell-Pull combined, of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to that class of doorplates which are provided with a hinged portion covering an opening for the introduction of letters, said hinged part being connected with a bell or gong so as to sound the same. The invention consists in the combination of an ordinary bell-pull with the hinged plate, a bell or gong, suitable connections, and means for striking the bell, the parts being so arranged that the letter-box is opened and the bell sounded by drawing out the bell-pull. The invention further consists in the combi nation of peculiar means for striking the bell with the hinged plate, all as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is an outside view of the said name-plate and letter-plate, and bell-pull, as seen attached to i a door. Fig. 2 is an inside view of the door,

showing the" manner of connecting the letterplate with the bell-wire or gong. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same in the line am,

Fig. 2.

A represents a portion of a door to which is attached a plate, 13, in which is made an opening for'the purpose of inserting mail-matter through the door, and which has a flap, O, hinged at the upper side for covering the said opening. On the plate 13 may be engraved or painted the name of the occupant of the house, and on the flap the word letters. TA spring, d, keeps the said flap .closed. Above the plate B is placed a bell-pull, E, the inner end of which is connected to the flap O by a strap or chain, F, attached to a rod or arm," G, hinged to the lower side of the flap U. The flap 0 may have a second arm, H, connected with a bell-wire, thus connecting the plate with the bell in another part of the house; or instead of the arm H there may be a rigid arm, I, which, when thrown upward, will push the hammer of a gong, J, and cause it to strike an alarm. The hammer j is attached to a short shaft, 7:, having its bearings in an arm, I, of the center post at and the base plate n. The shaft 7. is surrounded with a spring, 0, one end of which is secured to the post and the other to the base-plate, by which it is caused to fly back, released by the arm I of the flap 0, the lever of the hammer projecting outward sufficiently to be operated by the said arm I. A lug or pin, 1), on the base-plate limits the motion of the hammer.

The letter-plate is operated without the aid or independently of the bell-pull, though the bell-pull is connected with the letter-plate and lifts it when pulled. The plate B may be made in a variety of forms, either plain or ornamental, having the bell-pull at the upper side, and leave a place for the number of the house at the lower side.

I am aware that it is not new to arrange an alarm-bell to be sounded by opening the letter-box; and I am also aware that a separate device for ringing the bell has been employed; therefore I do not claim these features, broadly; but

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of the ordinary bell-pull E, with the letter-plate 0, connections F G, a hell or gong, and means for sounding the same, the bell-pull E being arranged to lift the plate 0 and sound the bell at the same time, all constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as herein described.

2. The hammer j, shaft k, spring 0, arm I, post m, lug or pin 12, and base-plate n, with the gong J, when all are constructed and arranged to operate with the letter-p1ate (l, by means of the rigid arm I on said plate striking the spring 0, as as described.

THOMAS THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

Gno. MENGER, Gno. L. OnILDs. 

